Spy Shots: BMW 5 Series Hybrid spotted whirring about

It hardly seems worthy of BMW's distinctively swirly camouflage – after all, we pretty much know exactly what it will look like after seeing the latest 5 Series several times and even gazing at the ActiveHybrid Concept from the Geneva Motor Show – but here we are with an image gallery of the 2012 5 Series Hybrid.

Assuming that the production car will get a similar drivetrain to what was shown off in the aforementioned concept, we can expect to see a turbocharged inline six-cylinder mated up to an eight-speed automatic transmission with a 40-kilowatt electric motor sandwiched between.

We can't say for certain what kind of fuel mileage this combination would provide (best guess would be about a 20-percent improvement), but we do know that a lithium ion battery pack should be nestled right near the rear axle for optimum weight distribution. That pack not only allows the car to operate on electric power, it also provides short bursts of added performance when called upon. Check out the high-res image gallery of spy shots below.

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